Bowser Jr.
- For fighter info, see Bowser Jr. (SSB4) and Bowser Jr. (SSBU).
| Bowser Jr. | |
|---|---|
Bowser Jr.
Promotional artwork of Bowser Jr. for Super Nintendo World. | |
| Universe | Mario |
| Debut | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
| Most recent non-Smash appearance | Mario Party Superstars (2021) |
| Console/platform of origin | Nintendo GameCube |
| Species | Koopa |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of origin | Bowser's Castle |
| Created by | Yoshiaki Koizumi |
| Voice actor | Caety Sagoian |
| Article on Super Mario Wiki | Bowser Jr. |
Bowser Jr. (クッパJr., Koopa Junior) is the son of Bowser and a major villain in the Mario series.
Origin
Bowser Jr. is the mischievous son of Bowser and the prince of the Koopas. He bears a striking resemblance to his father when he was a child, having beady eyes, a rounded snout with fewer contours, and hair tied in a small ponytail.
He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine, where he painted over most of Isle Delfino with a Magic Paintbrush he somehow obtained from Professor E. Gadd. The "paint" was often referred to as "goop". Bowser Jr.'s graffiti caused the Shine Sprites scattered about, causing its sunlight to recede. Bowser Jr. did these things disguised as Mario, tricking the denizens of Isle Delfino into thinking he was the culprit. In disguise, Bowser Jr. appears similar to Mario, but has a higher-pitched voice and a gelatinous, dark blue body with glowing red eyes. The disguise, referred to as Shadow Mario, is activated by a blue neckerchief with Mario's signature mustache drawn on it (in later games starting with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Bowser Jr.'s neckerchief is white and has a drawing of a ferocious mouth instead).
Bowser Jr. was also convinced by his father that Princess Peach was his mother and that Mario had taken her from him, thus setting his plan into motion; by framing Mario, he attempts numerous times to kidnap the princess, who he refers to as his "mama". By the end of Super Mario Sunshine, however, Bowser Jr. reveals that he knew Peach wasn't really his mother, while still expressing a desire to fight Mario like his papa.
Bowser Jr. became a landmark character after Super Mario Sunshine, appearing as a playable character in multiple spin-off games (his first being Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour), as well as having a recurring role as Bowser's elite soldier in the New Super Mario Bros. games, where he commands the Koopalings. In several games, he uses a smaller variant of his father's famous Koopa Clown Car, officially named the Junior Clown Car in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Most notably, he appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, a remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, where he takes center stage as the main protagonist of the newly-added Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode.
Later Mario games would explore more facets of Bowser Jr.'s character. In Super Mario Galaxy and subsequent games, Jr. has been shown to invent and pilot large battle machines of various sorts, such as the Junior Clown Car. He is also able to hack computer systems and transform areas into military outposts with factories as seen in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. His mechanical and technological prowess show through in his Super Smash Bros. moveset, which shows him summoning various tools and gadgets from within the Clown Car. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam explores Jr.'s personality in further detail, showing that, while he may be the child of a villain, he is ultimately a lonely Koopa who desires friends above anything else. Other games—such as Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury—show that Bowser Jr. cares deeply about his father.
Bowser Jr. has complicated relationships with the main cast. Despite knowing that Peach is not his real mother, he will still assist Bowser in his attempts to capture and marry her. Peach herself sees Bowser Jr. as a misguided child that needs a proper parent, particularly not Bowser. Though Bowser Jr. is antagonistic for most playable characters, he especially despises Mario for constantly getting in the way. This animosity was strongest in Sunshine where he actively sought to take Mario down. Later installments toned this hatred down, with the two fighting only when their paths cross. Bowser Jr. even occasionally shows a willingness to team up with Mario, albeit only when out of need. When such a mission is complete, he goes right back to his antagonizing ways. While Mario will not hesitate to fight out of self-defense and can sometimes be cold towards him, he has no ill will towards Bowser Jr. and is more than willing to help him whenever their interests are aligned.
In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr.'s voice is performed by Dolores Rogers. Caety Sagoian has provided his voice in later games since Mario Strikers Charged.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Bowser Jr. appears as a trophy and as two stickers.
Trophy
- Bowser Jr.
- Bowser's son, who appears in Super Mario Sunshine calling Princess Peach his mother—he feels so strongly about her that he kidnaps her. Somewhat spoiled by his father, Bowser Jr. comes off as being on the selfish side. His bib is decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask—it's most likely an effort to appear more menacing.
: Super Mario Sunshine
: New Super Mario Bros.
Stickers
| Name | Game | Effect | Character(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowser Jr. | Mario Superstar Baseball |  +25
|
|
| Bowser Jr. | Super Mario Sunshine |  Attack +25
|
   
|
.png) Bowser Jr. (Mario Superstar Baseball) |
.png) Bowser Jr. (Super Mario Sunshine) |
In Super Smash Bros. 4
As a playable character
Bowser Jr. was unofficially revealed as a playable character in SSB4 by a leak of the ESRB review video.[1] He was shown to fight in his Junior Clown Car, using boxing gloves to attack (inspired by his Clown Car in New Super Mario Bros. U, but the gloves protrude with metal extenders instead of being attached to arms). He can also drop Mechakoopas and fire cannonballs. The seven Koopalings also appear as alternate costumes for him. His Final Smash has him briefly transform into his Shadow Mario form, which then swipes the screen with the Magic Brush, creating a large X, which hurts all opponents that it touches.
Currently, Bowser Jr. is placed 48th out of 55 on the tier list, placing him in the F tier. His Clown Kart Dash special gives him a fantastic approaching option thanks to its speed and usefulness in starting combos. He also comes with some powerful finishers that can potentially KO opponents below 100%. Although he's classed as a heavyweight, his aerial game is respectable thanks to his good air mobility and ability to juggle opponents with his aerials. Despite these strengths, Bowser Jr. is held back by notable flaws, such as a laggy grab, poor ground mobility, and his recovery in Abandon Ship! is predictable and open to gimps. Bowser Jr.'s weaknesses hold him back from leaving much impact on the competitive scene, having below average results in tournament, though he still has a few dedicated players.
Trophies
- Bowser Jr.
Bowser's beloved, spoiled son sports a bandanna with a large mouth drawn on it. Like his father, Bowser Jr. longs to take Mario down. In Smash Bros., he'll fight from inside his heavily armed Junior Clown Car. The Clown Car takes less damage than Bowser Jr., so mind your positioning.
Bowser's probably a big fan of his son, what with him hating Mario just as much as dear old Dad does. The tyke's Junior Clown Car is packed with gadgets and gizmos to throw at enemies! By the way, he's extra vulnerable when he jumps out of it, but...you wouldn't dream of attacking the cute little fella then, would you?- : Super Mario Sunshine (08/2002)
: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)
- Bowser Jr. (Alt.)
- The Clown Kart Dash special move turns the Junior Clown Car into a kart. If you change direction while driving it, it'll spin and do more damage. When you use his up special, Bowser Jr. leaps from his Junior Clown Car, dropping it on the foes below.
- The Clown Kart Dash special move turns the Junior Clown Car into a kart. If you change direction while driving it, it'll spin and do more damage. When you use his up special, Bowser Jr. jumps out of the Junior Clown Car, letting it hit opponents. Try to catch opponents with it while you're directly over them to hit them on the head!
- : Super Mario Sunshine (08/2002)
- : New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)
Classic (3DS)
Classic (Wii U)
Alt. (3DS)
Alt. (Wii U)
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
As a playable character
Bowser Jr. returns as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Like in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Bowser Jr. is an unlockable character.
Spirit
10. Bowser Jr.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
クッパJr., Koopa Jr. | — |
 English |
Bowser Jr. | — |
 French |
Bowser Jr. | — |
 German |
Bowser Jr. | — |
 Spanish (PAL) |
Bowsy | — |
 Spanish (NTSC) |
Bowser Jr. | — |
 Italian |
Bowser Junior | — |
 Chinese (Simplified) |
酷霸王Jr., Koopa Jr. | — |
 Chinese (Traditional) |
庫巴Jr., Koopa Jr. | — |
 Korean |
쿠파주니어, Koopa Jr. | — |
 Dutch |
Bowser Jr. | — |
 Russian |
Боузер-младший | младший means "Junior" |
 Portuguese |
Bowser Jr. | — |
Trivia
- Bowser Jr. is the only character to have alternate costumes that are all different characters—each of the seven Koopalings.
- Bowser Jr. is also the first character to have an opposite gender alternate costume that is an entirely different character. The second is Pokémon Trainer in Ultimate.
- Bowser Jr. is also the first character to have an opposite gender alternate costume but not have an equal number of male and female alternate costumes. The second is Pikachu in Ultimate.
- Bowser Jr. is the only character to not use an alternate costume for his Alt. Trophies, instead using his default costume.
- The Koopalings have their own separate trophies, but they do not have Alt. Trophies.
- Bowser Jr. is the heaviest character introduced in SSB4 despite not being a super heavyweight fighter.
- Bowser Jr. and Rosalina are the only playable Mario characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to have debuted in the 21st century.
- Unlike his father, Petey Piranha, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and King K. Rool, Bowser Jr. (along with the Koopalings) retains his voice actor from the Mario series. He shares this trait with Yoshi, who is voiced by Kazumi Totaka.
- He's also one of the only playable Mario characters, alongside the Koopalings and Daisy to recycle voice clips from outside sources.
- Bowser Jr. is one of the few playable Mario characters to have appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series in a non-playable capacity prior to his playable debut, as he had a trophy and two stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This distinction is shared with Ludwig von Koopa of the Koopalings (who appears as a playable model swap character via Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes) and would later be shared with Daisy and Piranha Plant.
- Bowser Jr. is the only Smash 4 newcomer to be unlockable in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and a starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, as Ness, Jigglypuff, and Ganondorf were veterans.
References
